muslims

I'm sure this will cause some heads to explode:

In an op-ed article in the New York Times, Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, and David E. Campbell, a political scientist at Notre Dame, say they have collected data indicating that the tea party is "less popular than much maligned groups like 'atheists' and 'Muslims.'"

But Campbell says the tea party was really an afterthought in their research.

"We didn't go into this study to look at the tea party," Campbell said in an interview with The Ticket.

The professors were following up on research they conducted in 2006 and 2007 for their book "American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us" and decided to add the tea party and atheists to their list of survey queries. By going back to many of the same respondents, the professors gleaned several interesting facts about the tea party.

This one should get people talking:

HATCH: Let's be honest about it, in the First Amendment, religious freedom, religious expression, that really express matters to the Constitution. So, if the Muslims own that property, that private property, and they want to build a mosque there, they should have the right to do so. The only question is are they being insensitive to those who suffered the loss of loved ones? We know there are Muslims killed on 9/11 too and we know it's a great religion.... But as far as their right to build that mosque, they have that right.

I just think what's made this country great is we have religious freedom. That's not the only thing, but it's one of the most important things in the Constitution....

There's a question of whether it's too close to the 9/11 area, but it's a few blocks away, it isn't right there.... And there's a huge, I think, lack of support throughout the country for Islam to build that mosque there, but that should not make a difference if they decide to do it. I'd be the first to stand up for their rights.

And Hatch is right.

Adam Serwer, who is filling in for Greg Sargent this week, sums it up great:

This statement is all the more remarkable because it isn't grudging -- there are no hedges about the "wisdom" of where the project is being built, as though the group should have expected a nation-wide smear campaign designed to paint the developers as Islamic extremists for wanting to expand an existing prayer space into a community center.

Again we show how the current right has changed over the past couple of years, embracing the crazy conspiracy theories that come out of their base and hope to turn that into political capital. This time it involves the Ground Zero mosque:

Tuesday, Reps. Peter King (R-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) called Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf -- best known for his work with multicultural Cordoba Initiative to build a mosque and community center in Lower Manhattan -- a "radical" and criticized the Obama Administration for including him on a Middle East speaking tour. That tour, which includes stops in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is designed by the public diplomacy office to explain to Muslims abroad what it's like to be a Muslim in America.

But guess what? It turns out Rauf actually has a history of working with the U.S. government, and that relationship started under Bush:

If one were to hearken back to the halcyon days of the Bush Administration, one would remember that, when Bush adviser Karen Hughes was appointed Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, the Bush Administration saw improving America's standing among Muslims abroad as a part of its national security strategy. And, as such, Hughes set up listening tours, attended meetings and worked with interfaith groups that -- shocking, by today's Republican standards -- included actual Muslims.

One of those people was Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.

The daily Obama conspiracy yesterday was that the President plans to “desecrate 9/11”:

On the Aug. 11 call, Yearwood and other leaders kept saying repeatedly that they wanted 9/11 to be used for something "positive," "forward-leaning," and "productive," said a source with knowledge of the teleconference.

The plan is to turn a "day of fear" that helps Republicans into a day of activism called the National Day of Service that helps the left. In other words, nihilistic liberals are planning to drain 9/11 of all meaning.

So by turning 9/11 into a day of national honor and service, President Obama would trample the memories of those who perished?

The Republicans cling to the fear that struck American on that September morning as though it was oxygen, which is why the wingnuts are up in arms over this. They would be thrilled if on September 11 of every year Americans curled up into little balls, shaking nervously going “bad Muslims, bad Muslims”.

How about this 9/11 we do something else to remember what happened. How about we recall how the Bush administration let the attackers go by shifting their focus to Iraq? This was something championed by the wingnuts. Let’s also recall how some Republicans and right wing news networks are praying for another attack on this country.

These idiots aren’t patriots, they are enablers of terrorism. They only know life through fear, and they thrive for wars which kill our soldiers, destroy countries and weaken our national security. It’s like some goddamn sporting event to them.

By having one of his surrogates out there saying the "Muslims are going to kill us all":

One of John McCain's fellow POW's in Vietnam defended the war in Iraq, saying, "The Muslims have said either we kneel or they're going to kill us.''

In a phone call with reporters arranged by the McCain campaign, Colonel Bud Day added: "I don't intend to kneel and I don't advocate to anybody that we kneel, and John doesn't advocate to anybody that we kneel.''

Muslim leaders have complained that they have been villified as terrorists since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Republicans are bound and determined to turn this whole thing into a holy war. Bud Day is another example of right wing hysteria surrounding Muslims, and should heed a strong warning against the future if McCain becomes our next President.

It also shows why so many Muslim leaders support Obama for President. Obama doesn't spew this hatred out, nor believe it, like McCain and his ilk. Besides, if we really believed that and ended up wining a war against all Muslims, what religion would be next? I'm sure we would find someone to go after.

Well it looks like the White House is trying everything to get out of the slump including this little gem:

BLACKBURN, England (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accepted on Friday the United States had probably made thousands of errors in Iraq but defended the overall strategy of removing Saddam Hussein.

Local Muslims and anti-war activists told Rice to "Go Home" when British counterpart Jack Straw earlier led her on a tour of his home town of Blackburn in the industrial northwest, an area which rarely plays host to overseas politicians.

"Yes, I know we have made tactical errors, thousands of them," she said in answer to a question over whether lessons had been learned since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Sure there are mistakes. Of course what does it really do to the fatcats in Washington. The people who pay for those mistakes are the soldiers, their families and the citizens of Iraq. That is something that the White House has a problem recognizing.

It has taken them three years to even admit mistakes, will it be another three to repair them? I would have to say so since that is when we will have someone new in the White House - someone who is hopefully competent.

In a few hours, Iraqis will be taking to the poll to either approve or reject
their new constitution. Historical in the sense of it being their first
constitution, the biggest story behind this vote will be the work done by the
Bush administration.

Is the constitution does pass, then we can be sure to hear a onslaught of
Bush supporters claiming victory over the anti-war movement. Even though it may
appear to be a victory on the outside, once you peel back the layers and look
inside it will still be much the same. Now the insurgents will truly have
something to revolt against.

Insurgents have already tried to hinder the preparations for the vote.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents sabotaged power lines, knocking out
electricity and water across the Baghdad area Friday and plunging the
capital into darkness on the eve of a landmark vote on a constitution aimed
at defining democracy in a nation once ruled by Saddam Hussein.

For most of the day, Iraqis were hunkered down in their homes, with the
streets of the Iraqi capital almost empty hours before a 10 p.m. curfew and
the country sealed off from the outside world as borders and airports were
closed for Saturday's referendum.

The widespread power outage blamed on insurgents hit soon after sundown,
when Muslims break their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan,
leaving Baghdad's skyline black except for pinpoints of light from private
generators.

Click here for full
article.

This most likely only a preview of what the next 24 hours will provide in
Iraq. The news coming out of the war torn country should be rather grim as
insurgents try and disrupt the vote.